Steam-boiler and coupling



(No Model.) 4 Shets-Sheet 1.

' E. S. CLARK. STEAM BOILER AND COUPLING.

No...546,809. Patented Sept. 24, 1895.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. S. CLARK.

STEAM BOILER AND COUPLING.

No. 546,809. Patented Sept. 24, 1895.

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E. S. GLARK. STEAM BOILER AND GOUPLING.

No. 546,809. PatentedSept. 24, 1895.

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No. 546,809. Patented Sept. 24, 1895.

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EDXVARD S. CLARK, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STEAM-BOILER AND COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 546,809, datedSeptember 24, 1895.

Application filed November 13, 1894. Serial No. 528.644. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. CLARK, of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Steam-Boilers and Couplings, of which the following,taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a more compact and economicalsteam-boiler than any heretofore known and to secure the highest resultsin volume and qualityof steam produced within a given space and with theconsumption of a given amount of fuel under conditions of absolutesafety.

By an improved offset coupling of novel construction I am able toarrange the various Water and steam pipes in parallel planes (and planesat right angles to each other) in very close proximity and without wastespaces within the boiler-shell, as must be the case at each side of theboiler when the pipes run obliquely and are joined by the ordinary axialcouplings. I utilize the waste heat in the top of the shell byrunningthe feed-water pipes zizzag through such top space besides thesteam-drums, and then bring the water to the lower part of the boiler bypipes external to the shell. Enlarged vertical water-pipes form the backand side walls of the fire-box and such part of the front wall as is notoccupied by thedoors. The return-bend of one transverse pipe lies overthe closed half of the end cap and closely adjacent to the couplingconnection of the other pipe to the vertical tube. The vertical pipesforming the walls of the lire-box enter the manifold base-pipe, whichhas a succession of adjacent openings enabling the Verticals to beclosely set, thus giving a large amount of water in the tubular walls.Over the doors I arch a manifold supply-pipe for the shorter verticalpipes with which the circulation-tubes connect which run from front torear.

My improved coupling consists in an enlarged screw-threaded cap toengage with the threaded end of a water or steam pipe and a quarter-turnscrew-threaded coupling-socket on its closed end and at one side of itsaxial center, such coupling-socket being adapted to receive the threadedend of a tube running at right angles to the axis of the cap, while theopposite half of the closed end of the cap is vacant to admit of asteam-pipe from the opposite side of the fire-box or its return-bendlying in close proximity to said tube or coupling-socket.

My coupling also consists in said threaded cap, having an integralthreaded couplingsocket located at one side of the axial center of thecap and adapted to receive the threaded end of a tube extending at rightangles to the axis of the cap.

My improved boiler embodies a tire-box having an end wall and side wallsformed of closely-set Vertical water-tubes rising from horizontalmanifold pipes connected to the feed-water pipe, in combination withtransverse heating-tubes of smaller diameter crossing and recrossingsaid box in the upper part of the fuel chamber and with couplingsjoining such vertical and transverse tubes, the threaded socket for thesmaller tube being offset and placed at one side of the center of theend portion of the cap for the larger tube, the other side being closed.By this construction two vertical tubes set opposite to each other havewithin their own vertical plane and side by side two independent andparallel transverse circulation-pipes, each overlapping onehalf of thecap of the other and rising to communicate with the steam-drum.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form of myimproved boiler, part 'of the front wall being broken away to show theinterior. Fig.2is a detail in front elevation Fig. 3, a horizontalsection on line can of Fig. 2, showing the circulation-pipes and thecouplings. Fig. 4 is a partial side elevation.

Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective illustrations of my single and doublecouplings which are seen in the other figures. Fig. 7 is a skeleton sideelevation of one of my boilers with single fire-boxthat is, one withoutthe partition or central row of vertical tubes. In this figure part ofthe manifold base-pipe is broken out to show beyond it the correspondingbasepipe and verticals of the farther side of the fire-box.

A represents an enlarged internally-threaded metallic cap forming thebody of my improved coupling. B is a tubular couplingsocket openingthrough the end of said cap and located entirely at one side of itsaxial center,

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being thus offset, so that the pipe screwed into its threaded outer endwill lie in a plane at one side of the axial plane of the cap, leavingspace on the other side thereof for another pipe, both being within thevertical plane of the upright tubes from which they extend. I provideboth single and double offset couplings-that is, with one of the offsetcouplingsockets or with two. (See Figs. 3, 5, and 0.) These sockets areshown integral with the cap and make a quarter-turn, so as to connecttubes of different sizes at right angles to each other.

The fire-box of my boiler has its side walls and inner end wall formedof vertical watertubes D, set closely side by side and connected byscrew-threads at foot to manifold basepipes E, through which thefeed-water passes after descending from the feed-water-heating tubes F,Fig. 1, or otherwise. The grate-bars G are shown in Fig. 1. v

The end caps A of the couplings A 13 screw upon the threaded upper endsof the vertical tubes D. The circulation is through transverseheating-tubes II, which screw into the offset coupling-sockets B andextend across the top of the lire-box and return by an ordinaryreturn-bend and rise through pipe J into the steam-drum K. It is obviousthat two of the vertical tubes D standing directly opposite to eachother, with their coupling-sockets respectively offset to right andleft, will have two distinct and parallel transverse circulation-pipesII in the vertical plane between such two tubes D. One of these twopipes starts from one of the coupling-sockets and the other starts atthe opposite side of the lire-box from the socket of the other coupling,and each makes its return-bend substantially over the vacant half of theopposite end cap. (See especially Figs. 3, 4, and 7.)

The doubly-offset coupling, Fig. (l, is used when, as in Fig. 1, thefurnace has a central series of vertical tubes D, closely set andforming a partition or center wall from front to rear of the fire-box.This construction is indicated also in Figs. 2 and In these doubleoffset couplings two integral quarter-turn sockets are formed on the endof the cap A, facing in opposite directions, the tubes connected theretobeing in different planes, each at one side of the axis of the cap, andboth being within the vertical planes of the walls of the tube uponwhich the cap is screwed. In these cases all of the end of the cap isclosed except the portion devoted to the two offset sockets. Figs. 1, 4,and 7 show an upper range of transverse heating-tubes II, which providefor the circulation from the end vertical tubes.

I am aware that it is common to connect pipes of differentsizes byreducing couplings having threaded sockets adapted thereto. I am alsofamiliar with T-couplings, by which a current from one pipe is divertedinto two others at right angles thereto, all such pipes having onecommon axial plane; but I am not aware that prior to my invention offsetcouplings such as are herein set forth were ever known or used.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a steam boiler, an offset coupling foruniting tubes of different sizes, such coupling consisting of a threadedend-cap for the larger tube, and formed with a threaded coupling socketopening through the outer end and at one side of the axial center ofsaid cap, and adapted to receive the threaded end of the smaller tubelying at one side of the axial plane of the larger tube, the remainingportion of the end of said cap being closed, to give space for thereception of the return bend of a like tube extending thereto from asimilar coupling at the opposite side of the boiler, whereby the twosmaller tubes lie parallel to each other and within the plane of thelarger tubes from which they extend, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In a steam boiler, an offset coupling for uniting tubes ofdifferentsizes in perpendicular planes, such coupling consisting of athreaded end-cap for the larger tube, and a quarter-turn screw-threadedcoupling socket formed integral with the end portion of said cap and atone side of its axial center, and adapted to receive the threaded end ofa tube running at right angles to the axis of the cap, the end of saidcap being otherwise closed, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

In a steam boiler, a fire-box having an end wall and side walls formedof closely set vertical water tubes supplied from horizontal manifoldbase pipes and suitably arranged feed-water pipes, in combination withtransverse heating tubes of less diameter than the vertical tubes,crossing and recrossing the firebox above the fuel chamber, and withcouplings joining such vertical and transverse tubes, the threadedsocket for the smaller tube being offset and placed at one side of thecen ter of the end portion of the cap for the larger tube, the remainderofsuch end portion being closed, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification,iu thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 6th day of November, A.D. lSfl-t.

EDlVARD S. CLARK.

Witnesses:

CHARLES G. KEvEs, A. II. SPENCER.

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